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The prime minister's proposals on co-operatives should be immediately tested in the collapsed elderly care sector

19 January 2012

If Mr Cameron is serious about his "Big Society" idea then no other sector is more in need of a dose of it than the elderly social care sector badly damaged by private equity says GMB

GMB, the union for care staff, commented on the announcement by Mr Cameron that he will table a Bill to simplify legislation relating to co-operatives as part of a drive to encourage employee and customer involvement in owning a share of businesses. The Prime Minister said co-operatives were "the best way of improving public services" and key to "popular capitalism, which allows everyone to share in the success of the market.

Justin Bowden, GMB National Officer for care home staff said “The Prime Minister's proposals should be immediately tested for the collapsed elderly care sector that has been brought to its knees by private equity.

GMB is calling on David Cameron to ask the government's Mutuals Task Force to design a mutual /co-operative proposal for elderly social care. The elderly social care sector is crying out for something new. What better than a system where all the stakeholders have a real stake?

The last care homes of the bust operator Southern Cross only transferred to new operators last month. The social care sector - and companies like Four Seasons - continues to buckle under the weight of its debts and financial instability.

The social care sector is in desperate need of a new model of ownership and operation where the residents, their families, staff, local authorities, the NHS and everyone connected with the care of our most vulnerable and elderly has a direct stake in the running of the business.

If Mr Cameron is serious about his "Big Society" idea then no other sector is more in need of a dose of it than the elderly social care sector. The Mutuals Task Force must now offer that opportunity. 2011 was the year of the collapse of Southern Cross and Four Seasons does not look stable. There is no better time than now for David Cameron to push for a change in how care homes and domiciliary care for the elderly are run."



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